The Stahl Center for Jewish Studies and the Jewish Studies Program

Note: A draft of this statement was approved by the Jewish Studies Advisory Committee and submitted for approval from our campus on October 11th. We did not receive that approval until October 15th.

UWM’s Stahl Center and Jewish Studies program are horrified by the unprecedented terror and violence unleashed by Hamas targeting Israeli civilians in recent days. We grieve for the loss of some 1400 innocent lives and the thousands wounded in Israel. Our faculty and many of our students have friends, family, and close professional ties in Israel. We are devastated by recent events, shocked by the brutal violence carried out against civilians, and anxious over the fate of those who have been abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza.

We stand with students and faculty who are processing the painful news of the last several days and with our colleagues and friends in Israel. We encourage students who need additional support to seek counseling at Student Health and Wellness.

As we return to our classrooms, we recommit to our mission as educators – to create a world of greater peace, empathy, and understanding. We are mindful of the fact that we teach on a diverse campus with students from a wide range of backgrounds and a similarly broad range of views. We embrace that diversity, which enriches our classrooms and our lives. Our horror at this week’s events in Israel in no way alters that view. Indeed, it reinforces our desire to nurture every student we teach, and to make our classrooms spaces where the respectful exchange of ideas can thrive.